| Need Help navigating GoodLife
Posted: 5/3/2008 8:05:49 AM | | Okay, so I joined GoodLife about a week ago and then I called Queen Street and agreed to meet this bonehead who would do my assessment and take even more of my money and set me up with a personal trainer for twelve more weeks. Well here I am a week later and several calls to but none from. I have no clue how to use those 9 machines, and I want to learn so I just called another location closer to home and not work, and god willing they are going to get me set up. Don't get me wrong, I am not totally helpless but if I am going to fork out all of the cash, I obviously want to do it right. So for now, I am content to use the eliptical, the treadmill and maybe try the yoga class, even though I still have not had my initial assessment. Talk about a disappointment! I had to put my dog down this week and it's been hard and I was hopin i could take my mind off it by starting this new regime and total body-mind transformation. Any advice?? | |
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| Need Help navigating GoodLife
Posted: 5/3/2008 10:05:50 AM | | Ask some of the people around you while you are training! Tell them you are new to this and want some assistance! I find there are lots of people willing to give advice in the gym! | |
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| Need Help navigating GoodLife
Posted: 5/3/2008 11:06:13 AM | have you tried calling to
book an appointment?
asking another member is fine and all except they may not show you the correct/exact/most efficient way to use the machine | |
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| Need Help navigating GoodLife
Posted: 5/3/2008 11:11:20 AM | | OP stated that she has put in several calls TO the gym and received none back. This would have me in the manager's office expressing concern over the LACK of interest in a new member needing (and willing to pay for) a personal trainer. The lack of communication would have me concerned about the quality of help you would even receive should they put the effort in to at least RETURN your calls. | |
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| Need Help navigating GoodLife
Posted: 5/3/2008 11:13:38 AM | You should have joined the YMCA.
The Goodlife in my area cannot even touch it. It cost more to be a member of the Y, but I get more too. | |
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| Need Help navigating GoodLife
Posted: 5/3/2008 12:02:16 PM |
OP stated that she has put in several calls TO the gym and received none back.
but with goodlife, the key is booking an appointment
i find they arent so hot with returning calls
the other thing i would look into is the fineprint of your agreement
i think you can cancel it up to 7 days after you signed
that being said, i agree with lionesstorie that calling the managers office is a good idea.
in fact, i would recommend you go even higher - to the head office.
i find frequently the managers are young (at least here in london) and there seems to be a high turn over rate with them
what floors me is that they arent hounding you for the private training
its expensive as he11 (i've done it before there)
and usually you cant get them to leave you alone about it | |
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| Need Help navigating GoodLife
Posted: 5/3/2008 1:59:45 PM |
You should have joined the YMCA.
Yup a great place to train and you get lots of help - free! You also can train at any YMCA when you travel - once you are a member - you are a member everywhere! | |
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| Need Help navigating GoodLife
Posted: 5/3/2008 7:14:49 PM | Ask any bank manager, they will tell you about gyms and their scams. I'd be willing to bet you are paying monthly with debit withdrawals. That's the only way they will deal with members if possible. Once they have access to your account, your doomed without their cooperation. Even when cancelled... they can legally and arbitrarily reopen the account withdrawals.
Believe it or not... you are at their mercy.
If they are not returning your calls you need to start formal action immediately. The longer you wait (and pay), the less credibility you have. I highly reccommend you send a registered letter complaining about their service. Complain about the inability to get a response from them. By starting a paper trail... you have some sort of recourse if you decide enough is enough. To simply close your account is not good enough in most cases. They'll go as far as attacking your credit rating.... gyms are probably one of the biggest bullies in this regard. This is where they make their real profit. They thrive on people joining and then not using their facility.
I dealt with two gyms in this regard. I had an accident which prohibitted me from using the gym for two years... they allowed me to "suspend" my account. However, several months later they re-activated payments. It took a while but they learned I was just as much a prick to them as they were to me.
I rambled on here (sorry). But, I thought I would give you a heads up. Force their hand to either keep their end of the deal or inform them you will file a complaint in small claims court for breach of contract - they'll move on it.
One thing I have learned about canadian businesses in comparison to usa business..... in the usa, they want your business. In canada, they act as if you need their business more than they need your money. Living in a border city I have learned this over the course of 40 somethng years. Many Canadian businesses treat canadians as being passive.... very few complain. Hence the exploitation and terrible service.
***wow!! Rambling on, or what?? Time for a beer** | |
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| Need Help navigating GoodLife
Posted: 5/3/2008 8:15:16 PM | Beer - now there's a plan!!!
lol. I called their Walkley Road location and supposedly they are going to fix me up. We'll see. | |
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| Need Help navigating GoodLife
Posted: 5/3/2008 10:26:06 PM | I posted almost a year ago that I stayed away from Goodlife because when I looked them up on the internet - they have a very bad reputation for not training and showing the people how to use the machines. I am lucky enough to be able to go to session at a local community centre where it is much cheaper and the staff more reliable.
Good luck Ottawagirlie, I hope it works out for you.
My condolences on losing your dog as well. I just got another sweetie from the Humane Society in June - an 8 yr Yorkie/Westie mix. She's a sweetheart and good company for my other one. There are days when I don't know what I would do without them. | |
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| Need Help navigating GoodLife
Posted: 5/4/2008 4:15:22 PM | thanks Celticmist.
I will probably think about gettin another dog in a little while. I have so much goin on right now that it just wouldn't be right and unfair to a puppy. I am alone with the kids 99.% of the time because my ex can't be trusted with them, but they are gettin older and more self-sufficient all the time, but I work f/t and I am taking p/t studies and I joined the gym to get the old figure back and we still have our quaker who seems to be going through his own grieving process. He used to ride on the dog's back around the house. it was really something to see. lol | |
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| Need Help navigating GoodLife
Posted: 5/4/2008 4:37:27 PM | I walked into goodlife one day naively asking for a price list for memberships. That in turn became an hour and a half long orientation where I was asked everything from my age to how much weight I want to lose and how my emotional state was. It was all marked down with a consultant who then at the end pressured me and my boyfriend at the time to sign up our bank accounts immediately for this *Special deal* that would be ending in less than 24 hours. We didn't partake, but for about 2 months after escaping we receieved calls about 4 times a week asking when I wanted to sign up no matter how many times we told them we were not interested. It wasn't until I finally got the nerve to tell the girl where to go and how fast to get there that the calls finally stopped. That in itself has scared me off from chain gyms for life, I'll stick to my community centre from now on
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| Need Help navigating GoodLife
Posted: 5/24/2008 5:07:37 PM | Sorry to hear of your troubles with Goodlife. I have been a member since Sept 07, and while I personally haven't had problems with them, I don't use the personal trainers. I don't think they are as pro as others out in the industry. That being said, they are supposed to be able to show you how to use the equipment properly. I would contact the management. As for wheeling and dealing - you get that with pretty much all gyms. Community centres are less expensive, and usually have great classes too, but usually the equipment is not that great, or desinged mostly for men to use.
I prefer the Queen Goodlife for the classes and convenience as it is close to where I live, but I initially joined the Vanier Woman's only gym. They were very helpful, and their machines are a bit easier to use than the other locations'. Smaller club, but friendlier I found.
Rachelle | |
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